Selling Your Virginity for $3.8 Million?

– Carrie Seim

As we recently reported, the alluring 22-year-old women’s studies major is auctioning her virginity online at bunnyranch.com, in what she claims is a social experiment. It also happens to be a tidy economic experiment, with bidding close to $4 million. (Why aren’t we all investing our 401(k)s in supple virgins?)

Now Natalie’s stirring up more controversy by posting an explanation of her motives on The Daily Beast. When I first saw this story – and Natalie’s Glamour Shots pics – I chalked her up to inane publicity whore. (Choose your own emphasis.)

But here’s the thing. After reading her essay, I’m convinced “Natalie” (not her real name) is actually an articulate and astute – prepare yourself – feminist.

Yep, that’s right. I threw out the f-bomb. As Natalie asks in her essay, “Are you rolling your eyes yet?” Well hang on before you do.She argues elegantly that the concept of virginity as a “sacred gift” is merely a tool used to keep women submissive, referencing the patriarchal tradition of fathers auctioning their daughters’ virginity in exchange for land and livestock. A deal which leaves men with everything to gain – and women with everything to lose.

“I decided to flip the equation, and turn my virginity into something that allows me to gain power and opportunity from men,” writes Natalie. “I took the ancient notion that a woman’s virginity is priceless and used it as a vehicle for capitalism.”

She’s unapologetic that money’s a big part of this game.

“For me, valuing virginity as sacred is simply not a concept I could embrace. But valuing virginity monetarily – now that’s a concept I could definitely get behind.”

That sentence stopped me in my oh-so-judgmental tracks. Had I been as enlightened at Natalie’s age, would I be counting my cash instead of my wallowing in heartache after losing my virginity? All the while sitting high on a haughty feminist pedestal? Because that’s a concept my net worth and I could definitely get behind.

Natalie says she won’t pick her deflowerer solely based on the highest bid. But come on, if this turns out to be a stunt where she gets all these offers from rich freaks and then sleeps with her college boyfriend for free, some sick part of me will be extremely disappointed.

(Although seriously, I cannot understand why anyone would pay $3, not to mention $3 million for someone’s virginity. Any guys out there want to fill me in on the appeal of a night that’s sure to involve awkwardness and ruined sheets?)

The lucky winner will consummate his monetary union with Natalie at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. Yes, it’s the same Bunny Ranch brothel featured on HBO’s Cathouse series. And yes, it’s conveniently located in Reno, Nevada, where the law is down with prostitution.

Since Natalie’s all about liquidating her loss, I wonder if she’s offered HBO filming rights? I’m sure a lot of people would pay good money to watch that. And Natalie, that’s just more money in the feminist bank.

What do you think? Is Natalie a forward-thinking feminist or a profiteering prostitute?

12 thoughts on “Selling Your Virginity for $3.8 Million?”

Betty: I applaud you for being WAY more open minded than I am. I’m going to have to say profiteering prostitute. Selling sex = prostitution. What’s to stop young girls from getting the “big, brave, feminist” idea that they could domineer or outsmart (or whatever it is this gal thinks she’s doing besides making a huge chunk of dough) every guy she ever meets by selling her body to him? Ooh, she’ll show him! ACK! Please, people. Do not endorse this woman or what she’s doing in the name of “feminism.”

Wow. Feminism sure has come a long way. Exactly how has prostitution become “forward thinking” or “empowering”? What spawned the idea that reserving the physical expression of love for marriage (or at least some sort of committed relationship) was a sign that women were not empowered? By the same convoluted pseudo-logic I could assert that saving sex for marriage would empower women by making a man prove his commitment to her before she would share her body (which isn’t a bad idea, come to think of it).

Another thought – Ms Dylan isn’t necessarily giving it up to the highest bidder. So, what’s the point of auctioning it off? Is the top bidder disqualified if he’s unattractive or has pernicious BO?

I’m going to have to say that it really sounds like prostitution to me. Personally, I think that by waiting until marriage that it really empowers us. Otherwise, we’re just giving into what our SO wants, giving up our power.

It takes a strong woman to wait, especially if there is a man pushing to get his way.

This doesn’t just sound like prostitution — it IS prostitution! I cannot believe this girl and what the world has come to. People are actually bidding, rather, preying, on her virginity. It’s a shame, and she should be disgusted with herself. I don’t see it as being a feminist action.

I have to say, when I first saw this, I thought: “poor girl- she’s all about money and eww!!” and I still think that kind of. I’m 25. I can’t deny that I’m attractive, but because of my father being a closet sex addict and something that happened (not intercourse rape) to me as a 9 year old child, I suffer from PTSD & I’ve remained a virgin, and boyfriendless. I don’t believe men are creatures who care about women, except for use of sex. As a teenager, the only contact I had with guys was when I was heavily under the influence of drugs, pills, pot, whatever. I never went past “2nd or 3rd base” (I don’t know what the standards are today- I was born in ’84. ) Even on a whole bottle of ambien I wouldn’t have sex
I’ve treasured my virginity until a week ago when I found out my father has been telling my mother to get me to have sex, that “I’m weird for being a virgin at 25”, “Pretty girls should have sex.” blah blah…(even though as a Christian, I was taught to wait) I never planned on waiting for marriage, but special love, yes! And as I got older and this became one of the only pure things left in me, I treasured it more and more. But now that I found out my own father wants me to get banged, I don’t feel worth anything but a piece of ass anymore. And tonight, in despair, I’m googling selling my virginity. I’m 25, so I’m still young and quite attractive. Thin, blonde, compared to Cameron Diaz when I smile. I’m terrified that I will soon have no financial support from my folks for school, and I still have 2 years of my Bachelor’s to go before grad school.
I don’t want to do this, but I don’t know why not anymore…apparently this is my worth, even in my father’s eyes. I have no doubt that if I lived in India, Yemen, or a 3rd world nation, I would have been sold by him years ago. My peers think I’m weird because of my disgust with sex, only my true friends understand. But I don’t get it anymore, and I figure if I took enough drugs, sure I could sell my virginity. After learning of my father’s feelings about me (whom he calls “Precious,” by the way–ironic) I don’t even feel pure anymore. So, what the hell? I have no internal self worth anymore. Might as well see how much I’m worth in dollars, right? I already suffer from PTSD, what’s one more traumatic experience?
If this girl is thinking the same thing, I can’t blame her because if I’m going to feel like this, I might as well make money for it. Like a lawsuit against a hospital for botched surgery that leaves one in agonizing pain.

Although it’s late I must reply to 3chloe. Your lack of self worth stems from that incident when you were 9 years old. Your father’s attitude on helps to reinforce and amplify the problem. You need professional help. If your father were a dad,and not just a biological unit, he would have gotten you that help and you would have healed by now.
Get the help yourself and learn that there are good men out there, I said men not boys, who will love you for who you are and rebuild your self worth. You must help though and find some self worth within your self.

Really, if she wants to gain money, good for her, she is braver than most of us, I was scared enough my first time with my long time boyfriend, I don´t wanna know how it would have been like with some unknown guy I am not even attracted to and won´t have any regard for my feelings cause well, he paid for it. But really, the idea of it being for feminist reasons seems ludicrous to me, we are not in the 17th century where women were auctioned by their fathers to the highest bidder nor are we living in some old fashioned, traditional, culture where they still practice this conduct, it´s America, for cheesesakes, where girls loose their virginities in the back of a car at the age of fifteen or younger just for the sake of it, to get it over with, for curiosity, horniness, a million reasons except their fathers. Yes there are horrible things in the world, girls being raped by tier family, traficking, and a lot of other circumstances where this would have been a choice of our won that would have empowered us against men or the people who are taking our free will from us, but this is not the case, and she knows it. We know it.